As a part of our historic preservation mission, the Texas General Land Office Archives operates one of the highest quality digital scanning labs in the nation.

Upon customer request, Land Office staff will consult all archival indices to find any existing information about your ancestor. The information will then be compiled into an abstract form and sent to you as per your instructions.  Please complete the Genealogy Name Search Form.

• Genealogical Name Search: $20.00 per name (effective March 30, 2011)

The Texas General Land Office houses thousands of documents associated with the distribution of public land during the Spanish and Mexican periods in Texas. While many of these documents have been translated, some have not. Land Office staff can translate an archival document upon request.

•  Translation of untranslated document: $0.15 per word (certification included).
•  For copies of existing translations: $2.00 per page.
•  Certification of existing Spanish Translation: $25.00 per document (plus $2/page for copies).

The Texas General Land Office can certify a copy of a map or document as being from the Archives.

• Individual map: $2.00 per image
• Complete file: $25.00

Land Classification Letters are a service provided by the staff of the General Land Office’s Legal Services Division. Letters of classification contain a legal description of the land, patent information and the land classification, with staff signature.

• Land Classification Letters: $10 per abstract, tract

Certificates of Fact are a document written by the staff of the General Land Office’s Legal Services Division, or the General Land Office Spanish Translator, describing the history, in chronological order, of a particular tract of State land with the Commissioner’s signature. The documents are based on information in the Texas General Land Office Archives.

• Certificates of Fact: $100 initial fee and $100 per additional included file
• Certificates of Fact on Spanish Document: $75 per document 

Patrons can receive a digital copy of a document or map that is housed in the Archives upon payment of all required fees. Patrons may use any digital image for free that is already available on the web (ex. PDFs from Land Grant Database, Low Resolution JPGs from Online Map Database, Screen Shots of Zoomified Images, etc.).

Please contact Archives@glo.texas.gov to receive permission for reproduction of a digital image in a book, magazine, video, website, etc., or to license an image for any other use. Publication and licensing fees may apply. Please see the Publication/Broadcast/Image Use Fee below.

• High-quality (TIF 200 dpi) Digital Images from the Archives and Records Map Collection: $50 per image. The digital media (CD, DVD, Flash Drive, FTP Transfer, etc.), is included with digital image orders. Effective March 19, 2014.
• Digital media/transfer: Digital version of an unscanned item from the Archives and Records Map Collection: $25.00 per image
• Digital version of an unscanned item from the Archives and Records Map Collection: $25.00 per image

• Patents represent the last step in the land grant process, as the patent is the document that officially severs land from sovereignty. The Patent Collection at the Land Office is among the most important collections of documents in Texas because in many cases, the administrative copies of patents found at the Land Office are the only ones that exist.
• Certified copy of Patent: $5.00 per patent

• Color copy (legal or letter): $2.00 per page
• Color (ledger size): $3.00 per page
• Black and white (legal or letter): $1.00 per page
• Black and white (ledger): $2.00 per page

Full-size color copies of archival maps and sketches:

• Less than 48 inches - $20.00 per map
• Greater than 48 inches - $40.00 per map

Full-size black and white copies of archival maps and sketches:

• Black and white copy of current GLO county map - $15.00 per map
• Sketches, tracings and blueprints - $2.00 per linear-foot

Research of the official records of the GLO requiring staff to perform extensive research: $50.00 per hour, minimum one half hour, maximum four hours. (effective March 30, 2011)

Rush Fee: $50 per order. At General Land Office staff discretion, expedited preparation of photocopies, GIS products, maps and items scanned may be provided for a fee. Payment of the rush fee does not guarantee that requested services will be completed by a specific time. Payment of the rush fee will allow the rush order to be completed ahead of non-rush items. (effective March 30, 2011)

Publication or Broadcast Fee (Image Use Fee): For use of a GLO archival image (map, document or photograph) in a book, magazine, motion picture, television broadcast, video, website, reproduction for resale, or other promotional advertising use (effective March 30, 2011):

• Non-profit organizations, college or university presses, governmental entities, news media or private individuals: no charge
• For profit organizations: $50 per image per use